The Birth of Christ. (1) See the last five pages of The True Dates of Easter, Pentecost & Christmas.

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1 The Birth of Christ 1- The Birth of Christ foretold to Mary (Luke 1:26-38): (26) In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, (27)to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. How can this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? (35) The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God (Christ was part God --- sperm from the Holy Spirit, and part human --- egg from Mary). (36)Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. I am the Lord s servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. Then the angel left her. A. Verse 26 says that the angel Gabriel told Mary she would be impregnated by the Holy Spirit (verse35) in the sixth month. The Jewish sixth month is called Elul, which began on our August 7 th in the year If you were to add nine months (40 weeks, or 280 days) of pregnancy to this sixth month, Mary would have given birth to Jesus on our May 25, 2013 (not December)! (1) See the last five pages of The True Dates of Easter, Pentecost & Christmas. B. Verse 27 says that Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. Either Joseph and Mary s fathers already arranged this marriage; or, Joseph, himself, met the financial requirements (money and/or livestock) that satisfied Mary s father, and thereby entered into a contract with Mary s father. That contract guaranteed the following: (1) Mary was a virgin. (2) Mary and Joseph would be married only after a one year engagement period, during which there could be no sexual contact. If, during the engagement period, Mary displeased Joseph for any reason, Joseph could divorce her for a full refund (Deuteronomy 24:1-5). However, if Joseph had sex with Mary during the engagement period, he would have to give

2 Mary s parents 50 shekels (1 ¼ pounds) of silver, marry her, and he could never divorce her (Deuteronomy 22:28,29). (3) If Mary was found not to be a virgin, Joseph could have her stoned to death in front of her father s house (Deuteronomy 22:20,21). However, if Joseph lied, and Mary really was a virgin, he would have to pay Mary s parents an additional 100 shekels (2 ½ pounds) of silver, and could not divorce her for the rest of his life (Deuteronomy 22:13-19). C. Verse 36 says the angel told Mary that Elizabeth (John the Baptist s mother), who was Mary s relative, was in her sixth month. (1) This would mean that John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins, and only six months apart in age. 2- Mary then visits Elizabeth (who is pregnant, and going to give birth to John the Baptist) Luke 1:39-56: (39) At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, where she entered Zechariah s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary s greeting, the baby (John the Baptist) leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb (John the Baptist) leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished... (56)Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. A. Verse 39 says Mary traveled to a town in the hill country of Judah. Most feel that town would have been Hebron, because Elizabeth (and her husband, Zachariah) was of the tribe of Levi (Luke 1:5), and Hebron was a Levitical city according to Joshua 21:11. (1) Hebron was near Jerusalem, about 100 miles from Nazareth (a very long walk). B. Verse 56 says that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. (1) Remember, Luke 1:36 tells us that Elizabeth was already six months pregnant before Mary went to visit her. So, if you add another three months, you can see that Mary went to help Elizabeth give birth. (2) You can also note, that when Mary went back home (to see Joseph), she would have been at least three months pregnant herself.

3 3- Joseph s reaction to Mary s pregnancy when she got home (Matthew 1:18-25): This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child (at least three months pregnant) through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)--- which means, God with us. (John 14:6-15) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. A. Remember, when Mary came back from her three month stay at Elizabeth s home, she was at least three months pregnant (showing). So, when Joseph found out she was pregnant, what do you think he thought happened while she was away for three long months? If you will go back and review B 1-3, he could now: (1) Have her stoned to death. (2) Divorce her because he was no longer pleased with her (not bringing up the fact that she was pregnant); or, as he chose... (3) Admit the child was his, pay her family 1 ¼ pounds of silver, and marry her in disgrace, being ostracized from all the members of both his and her families, and all the people in his home town of Nazareth! 4- The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7): In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town (the town of their ancestors) to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of (King) David, because he belonged to the house and line of David (a mile journey). He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him (even though Joseph had to marry Mary, they still had no union and therefore were not technically married yet) and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born (do you suppose after walking or riding a donkey this far had anything to do with this?), and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth

4 (probably from her own clothing) and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. A. Why does the King James version say Cyrenius was governor, and the New International version says, Quirinius was governor? The King James version was translated from the Latin Vulgate, and the New International from the original Greek. Cyrenius was his Latin name, and Quirinius was his Greek name. B. Mary and Joseph did have children of their own. According to Matthew 13:55: Isn t His (Jesus) mother s name Mary, and aren t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren t all His sisters (at least two) with us? C. Jesus was wrapped in cloth at His birth, and again at His death according to John 19:40: Taking Jesus body, the two of them (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus) wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. D. They placed Jesus in a manger, or food trough for animals, showing that Jesus was born in a stable or barn (either man made, or a cave). Why? because there was no room for them in the inn (literally: guest chamber ). The innkeeper would rent out rooms in his house like a hotel. (1) Why was there no room? Since all the descendants of King David had to register in Bethlehem, and King David had many sons, including Solomon (who, according to I Kings 11:3, had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines ), all the rooms in this town would be full, most likely, weeks in advance. (2) But, since most of these people were related to both Mary and Joseph, and Mary was ready to give birth; why didn t anyone give up their room so Mary could have her baby indoors? Remember, they were shunned by their families, and marked as terrible sinners! 5- The angels announce Christ s birth to the shepherds, who visit the manger in Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-21): And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby (traditionally, ¾ of a mile east of Bethlehem), keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.

5 When the angels had left them and gone into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her mind. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. A. Why did the angels only announce Christ s birth to the lowly shepherds (outside the city gates), instead of the city s dignitaries and holy religious leaders and worshippers (inside the city gates)? (1) First, those inside the city, had already passed judgment on Joseph and Mary and terrible sinners, and treated them as outcasts...so, the angels went to those outside the city gate. (2) Hebrews 13:10-14: We have an altar, from which those who minister at the tabernacle (inside the gate) have no right to eat (Communion or The Lord s Supper). The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make His people holy through His own blood. Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (3) Jesus was called the Good Shepherd who came to save the lost sheep. Remember John 10:14-16: I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know Me --- and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep (Gentiles) that are not of this flock (Jews). I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. (4) Also note that the wise men or magi never came to the manger in Bethlehem that night. 6- Joseph and Mary leave Bethlehem and take Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:21-39): (21) On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived. (22) When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed (40 days), Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem (about 5 miles north of Bethlehem) to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord,

6 Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord ), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: A pair of doves or two young pigeons. (39) When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. A. Verse 21 says they circumcised Jesus on the eighth day. According to Genesis 17, circumcision was the seal of a covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham (God s chosen people --- Israel): If they (Israel) obeyed this covenant (The Law, or first five books of the Old Testament), God promised to be their God, and they (Israelites) would be His people. To seal their promise to God (to obey all His laws written down in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), all the males were to have their foreskins cut off (circumcision). Thereafter, they were to circumcise all their male children at the age of eight, according to Leviticus 12:3. (1) After Christ s death, burial and resurrection, Christians were still to be circumcised, as a seal of a NEW Covenant (The New Testament) between all Christians (male and female) and God, through Jesus Christ. HOW? (2) Colossians 2:9-14: For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (God) lives in bodily form, and you have this fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ. In baptism you were buried with Him and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code (The Law or first five books of the Old Testament), with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away (no longer under the Old Testament Law), nailing it to the cross. (3) So, now baptism (spiritual circumcision done by Christ) is the seal of the New Covenant or Testament between God and those who choose to follow Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. According to Christ s own words in Matthew 28:18-20: Go, and make disciples (Christians) of all nations (both Jew and Gentile), baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (New Testament Law). And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age. (4) If you promise to obey everything Christ has commanded you in His Will, or New Testament Covenant, and seal your promise with the circumcision of baptism, then, according to Romans 8, you will receive

7 the inheritance of eternal life in Heaven promised in His New Will, Covenant, or Testament! B. Verse 22 speaks of the time of their purification. According to Leviticus 12:...A woman who...gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait 33 days to be purified from her bleeding ( = 40 days)...if she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as in her period. Then she must wait 66 days to be purified from her bleeding ( = 80 days)..when the days of her purification for a son or a daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (Temple) a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering. He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood...if she cannot afford a lamb (and Mary and Joseph could not), she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her and she will be clean. (1) Also, according to Exodus 13:2, every firstborn male was sacred to God (human or animal). Therefore, a ceremony called The Redemption of the Firstborn (Numbers 18:16) was also preformed for Jesus at the Temple. Mary and Joseph had to pay 5 shekels to the priest in order to buy back Jesus from God. This couldn t be paid sooner than 31 days after the child s birth and not long after that. (2) The human race bought Jesus from God for 5 pieces of silver. Later, the human race sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver to be killed and given back to God, because we no longer wanted Him. And yet, when He died, Jesus bought the human race with His own blood, in order to give us back to God (that s redemption)! (3) I Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body. C. Verse 39 tells us When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law (as we have now learned), they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth (NOT BETHLEHEM). (1) Jesus lived in Bethlehem for about 40 days (time of Mary s purification for a boy), and then went about 5 miles north of Bethlehem to Jerusalem for the purification ceremony and the Redemption of the Firstborn; and then they went back home to Nazareth (about miles from Jerusalem) --- NOT BACK TO BETHLEHEM!

8 7- Joseph and Mary leave Jerusalem, and take Jesus back home to Nazareth where they get a visit from the Magi or wise men (Matthew 2:1-12): After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the chief priests and teachers of the Law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel. (Micah 5:2) Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. A. Herod was King of Judea, but only as appointed by the Roman government under Caesar Augustus, the Emperor. Other small countries under the Roman government would also have kings. Herod died shortly after Jesus birth and was replaced by his son, Herod Antipas, who put John the Baptist to death (Mark 6:17), and later tried Jesus before His crucifixion (Luke 23:6). (1) The reason Herod and his entire kingdom were disturbed to find out the Magi were looking for Jesus, was because they said Jesus was going to be the king of the Jews --- and that was Herod s job! (2) When Herod suspected anyone as a rival to His throne and power, they were quickly eliminated! He murdered his wife, Mariamne and her mother, Alexandra; his eldest son, Antipater, and two other sons, Alexander and Aristobulus. When he was 70 and knew he would die soon, he ordered that a collection of the kingdom s most distinguished citizens be arrested and imprisoned. At the moment of his death, they were all to be executed. His reason? He knew no one would mourn his death, and he was determined that tears would be shed when he died! B. The Magi or wise men were originally a Median tribe. The Medes were part

9 of the Empire of the Persians (which would include Babylon --- or modern day Iraq). Today s tradition says there were three of them; but earliest traditions said there were 12. (1) These Magi saw Christ s star in the east (in the land of Babylon or Persia --- modern day Iraq and Iran). If they came from Babylon (Iraq), it would be a trip of about 600 miles. If from Persia (Iran), it was a trip of about 800 miles. Once they saw the star, it would have taken them weeks just to prepare a trip of this size. They most likely took the same route Nehemiah and Ezra took in 457 BC, when Darius the Mede let the Jews go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and the later the city (they left from Susa, east of Babylon, according to Daniel 5:30). (2) But why were these Magi looking for a star that would mark the birth of the King of the Jews? They weren t Jews, and lived miles away from Jerusalem. But, remember that when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (modern day Iraq), captured Jerusalem; he kept the best of the young men to work in his palace. One of the young men was Daniel; and according to Daniel 2:48, King Nebuchadnezzar placed him in charge of all its wise men (or Magi). Furthermore, when Darius the Mede (where the Magi or wise men came from) took over the throne, he issued a decree, after Daniel survived the lions den, according to Daniel 6:25-28: Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land (of Babylon and Persia): I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel...So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (3) According to Daniel 2:4-48, the wise men or Magi were astrologers. So, guess who taught the wise men or Magi about the star that would mark the birth of the King of the Jews? Daniel knew all about the prophecies, including Numbers 24:17: I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob (who was called Israel, and his son s children became the tribes of Israel); a scepter (as in King of the Jews) will rise out of Israel. C. The star that the Magi saw in the east (either Babylon/Iraq or Persia/Iran), was not a gigantic star that shown so bright that anyone could see it. If that were true, Herod wouldn t need the wise men or Magi, he would simply follow the star. But, Christ s star was a star that only a trained astrologer would be able to pick out (like the North Star). Examine the evidence: (1) The Magi were not following the star to Jerusalem. The last time they saw the star, they were back home in the east (Babylon/Iraq or Persia/Iran). This is why Herod wanted to know the exact time they saw

10 the star. The Magi could not just step out on the king s balcony and point to it; nor could the king just follow the star to Jesus on his own. (2) Notice that after seeing the star in the east, and knowing it meant the King of the Jews had been born, the Magi naturally went to Jerusalem, where the Jews built their Temple and city. The star did not lead them to Jerusalem, and they could not see the star when they came to Jerusalem. This is why they were asking Herod if he knew where they could find the baby. (3) The only reason they went to Bethlehem was because Herod s chief priests and teachers of the Law knew that, according to Micah 5:2, the Christ (King of the Jews) was to be born in Bethlehem. So, the Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem...not the star. (4) It was not until they left the King, and started 5 miles south for Bethlehem that the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. If the Magi were heading in the right direction, why did the star reappear and lead them to Jesus? Because they were heading in the wrong direction! Remember #7? Mary and Joseph were only in Bethlehem for about 40 days, and then they went to Jerusalem, and then they went back home to Nazareth. Since Herod sent them in the wrong direction, God allowed them to see the star again to lead them miles north to where Jesus was --- Nazareth! (5) This is why verse 11 says: On coming to the house (not manger), they saw the child with his mother Mary. Some argue that the house mentioned here was the same inn in Bethlehem that had no room for them when Jesus was born. However, the word for inn mentioned in Luke 2:7, is katalumati, which means inn or guest room. The word house, here in Matthew 2:11, is oikian, which means house. Remember, Luke 2:39 is very clear: When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. (6) Furthermore, verse 11 says they saw the child. The word child, here, is the Greek word paidion, which means a child that has stopped nursing. In Luke 2:12, the word brephos or baby is used when Jesus was in Bethlehem in the manger. (7) So, how old was Jesus when the wise men or Magi visited Him in his own house in Nazareth? King Herod thought he was almost two! According to Matthew 2:16: When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi (who went back home another way, and did not report back to him), he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in

11 Bethlehem and its vicinity (which could have included Nazareth) who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi (or when they told him the King of the Jews was born). D. Why did they give Jesus gold, incense and myrrh? Gold was a gift for a king; incense was a gift for a priest (burned on the Altar twice a day); and myrrh was used to embalm the dead. Jesus was to be our King, our High Priest, and our sacrifice (read Hebrews 6:20 7:27). 8- Mary and Joseph leave Nazareth and take Jesus to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-18): When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: I called My Son out of Egypt. When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi (see #7C(7)). Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah (six miles north of Jerusalem), weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they were no more. (Jeremiah 31:15) 9- Joseph and Mary take Jesus back to Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23): After Herod died (soon after he gave the decree to kill all the two year old boys), an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child s life are dead. So he got up, took the child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: He will be called a Nazarene. (Isaiah 11:10; 53:1-3) A. Archelaus was Herod s son, and ruled over Judea and Samaria, but not over Galilee like his father. This is why Joseph took Mary and Jesus back to Nazareth. He was later banished from Judea because of the seriousness of his crimes. The Roman government then took over completely, placing a Roman governor over Judea.